It Doesn't Feel A Thing Like Falling
by fl0urished
Summary: College AU. Angela is a senior in college and Brennan is an anthropology professor. Eventual femslash.
1. Prologue

It's January 24th.

The entire Georgetown University campus is seemingly empty aside from a few new students walking around the grounds here and there. It's Angela's semester there, and she wasn't to make it count. Fresh off her 23rd birthday, she can feel the graduation already. She's worked hard on her major the last three ½ years; Women's and Gender Studies (with a concentration in sexuality studies) was always interesting, educational, and always a subject she wanted to know more about.

Now that Angela's on the last leg of her college life, it's all about just making it through to the end. Her grades were always average, maybe a little above. She consistently pulled anywhere between a C+ and an A- in all of her classes, so she wasn't worried. This semester, her class line-up was pretty easy. She only needed to take Women's Health in the 21st Century, statistics, and one other class in order to get the proper credits to graduate.

During the winter break, she felt an intro to anthropology course would be exciting and fun to finish up her credits with. It's all about people and culture, and while she's a little rusty in the science department, people was definitely her thing. Angela loves people. She loves being around them and interacting with them in all ways possible.

Especially when it comes to love.

Angela falls in love real easily. It doesn't take much for her to form strong connections with people. Sadly, it doesn't take much for her to move onto others as well. She lives for the moment, you know? A couple of months here and there with someone, then she's off to find someone else. It takes a toll sometimes, especially with her last partner, Roxie.

It was the heaviest and relationship she's been in to date. They started dating the second semester of her sophomore year at Georgetown and broke up right before senior year started. It was too much to handle for Angela. She's never been the "settle down and get married" kind, and that's exactly who Roxie was. And while she loved Roxie, she had to move on into something knew. It killed her to stand still in a certain way of life, that's why she dabbled in everything.

Angela's entire after-class schedule consisted of different clubs and activities ranging from art clubs to computer tech clubs. The art clubs were her favorite. Something about painting really brought her inner peace and helped her find her "center of balance" so to say. Her dorm, which she shared with her best friend Cam, was covered in all of her art. There wasn't a space of wall to be seen

Cam didn't mind, though. She enjoyed the breath of fresh air after being bombarded by her work for her biology major. She loved the science, but she also loved the humanity and down-to-earth nature of Angela. That's why when senior year approached, they requested to be roommates.

So now as the 2nd semester Angela's senior year was on the horizon, she just wanted one thing:

Survive and breathe.


	2. I Can't Feel A Thing

One more day before classes start. One more day and then everything will feel like her head's underwater. She needs to breathe.

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

"It's 40 degrees, Angela."

Angela sighs deeply and runs her hand through her hair.

"I know, Cam. I just need to clear my head before the semester, you know?"

Cam gently puts her book down next to her on her bed and sits up straight.

"You gonna be alright?"

"I'm not sure, honestly."

Angela turns her head toward the ceiling. She's sitting at her desk with the chair reclined back, eyes closed, breathing slowly.

"Please don't tell me this means more nights where you pass out on the floor because you're too drunk to pull yourself onto the bed because I can only be a mother figure here for so long okay. I think I've carried you through the threshold of this dorm room one to many times last semester."

Angela laughs.

"No promises. You know how hard the last few months have been for me."

"Should have known."

Cam jumps off her bed and walks to her desk and grabs her coat.

"So are we going or what?"

The air is crisp and clean, and with every inhale, it feels like a fresh breath of new life. Angela's not one for the cold weather usually, but when it's not below freezing and there's no wind out, she finds peace in it. Although Cam hate it. Period.

"I don't know why I insist on going out for walks with you in this shitty weather."

"You know you love me, Cam."

"Yeah, well, I sure as hell won't love you when I can't feel my fucking fingers in ten minutes."

Cam's been like a sister to Angela the last year and a half. They met at the beginning of junior year. Cam was a transfer student. She was going to college in California and decided she wanted to be closer to home in New York after a while. She'd be in New York right now, but she needs at least a little space between her and her family. She loves them to death, but God does she ever need a break. Or seven.

When Angela left Roxie, she regretted it immediately, though she never vocalized it. She just started heavily drinking and coming in late and slacking on her homework. She was careful to not let her grades suffer too much, but they weren't where she wanted them to be. And through all of this, Cam never left her side. Cam can't count the amount of time she had to hold Angela's hair while she vomited her life up and then cried herself to sleep. They never spoke about anything in detail, but they just knew what everything was about. Cam knew Angela just needed someone, and Angela accepted that without a word. That bond was strong from the start.

So now as they're walking across the Georgetown University campus in 40 degree weather, Cam will act like she cares- shooting fake negative comments at Angela in protest, but she really doesn't at all. She's just worried about Angela's well-being.

Especially right now. Because Angela has stopped dead in her tracks.

"Did you die or something?"

Angela's looking straight forward across the small field in front of them, not even bothering to look at Cam while she talks.

"Oh shut the fuck up, Cam."

Cam follows Angela's line of sight across the field as it lands on a young woman walking.

The air in Angela's lungs becomes icy and she feels like she can't breathe. She's never seen a more gorgeous woman in her entire life.

"Do you know who that is, Cam?"

"You don't? That's Dr. Brennan, the head of the anthropology department."

Silence.

"Why?"

"N-no reason. Just… just I've never seen her before."

"Oh for the love of God, Angela, please don't tell me you've already got the hots for her. I know you're taking her class this semester. Don't do this to yourself."

Angela scoffs.

"I'm perfectly capable of feeling however I want."

"Mmm. Sure, Angela."

Angela looks away and shakes her head. She knows Cam's right, and she knows it's childish- the whole "hot for teacher" thing, but when she saw that woman, she felt her whole world shake and shift inside of her. Classes at Georgetown are relatively small in general, so if that's who Angela had to look forward to seeing every other day for a class she has no knowledge on, she doesn't know how she'll survive.

"I think I want to go back into our dorm now."

Angela's voice is quiet. She's thinking too much, just like she always does.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do I ever, Cam?"


End file.
